Working Here TOURISM IN THE NORTH IDAHO PANHANDLE is the chief supporting industry employing over 11,200. Even through the pandemic, between January 2020 and January 2021, Northern Idaho experienced only a 3.4% drop in revenue from 2019. Coeur d’Alene has been among one of the most visited destinations in the state. The U.S. Travel Association reported Idaho ranked in the top 10 states for visitor spending. Arts, entertainment, gambling, amusements, coupled with lodging and food services have shown the biggest job increases. Our natural resources sector still provides high-paying jobs, but are subject to cyclical economic downturns and job losses due to technological advancements. The Silver Valley to the east is still one of the richest silver mining regions worldwide. Three major modern timber producers, Idaho Forest Group, Stimson Lumber, and PotlatchDeltic, still grow, harvest, manufacture and distribute billions of board feet of lumber per year, sold to markets around the globe. The influx of residents from other states has contributed to a wealth of new construction. So much so, that skilled tradesmen are in high demand to meet the needs for new home builders and commercial developments. Healthcare and education top the list as the other fastest growing employment sectors. With the area’s three major hospitals expanding, our community and state colleges and universities are rapidly responding with key workforce training programs. In the last several years, the robotic revolution has brought national attention to Coeur d’Alene. The “Think Big Festival” event presented by the Innovation Collective continues to draw interest in Coeur d’Alene from Google, Tesla, the FAA, Boeing and John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. This technological shift has been led by the emergence of a booming aerospace industry with companies such as Empire Airlines, Empire Unmanned, Titan Springs, Unitech Composites and Continuous Composities, involved in manufacturing products for the aerospace and medical industry. Technology companies such as Esterline, Ednetics, Ziply Fiber, TDS, and Fatbeam, combined with the heavy manufacturing companies of Ground Force Worldwide, Bay Shore Systems, and Pacific Steel help produce a thriving economy. Customer Relation Management (CRM) firms, also referred to as call centers have shown steady interest and growth in Coeur d’Alene. Companies like Inspiro, Qualfon, Alliance Data, and U.S. Bank have all chosen to invest and expand their corporate facilities in our community. With the help of the CDA 2030 Visioning Project, community leaders have committed to comprehensive planning to guide and direct future growth and development. Coeur d’Alene’s downtown core is a regional hub and vibrant neighborhood where residents can walk or bike to cafes, shops, services and jobs.
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